Effects of Baptism

Baptism takes away all sin, original and actual. St. Paul says (Rom. 6:3): “All we who are baptized in Christ Jesus are baptized in his death”; and (Rom. 6:11), “So do you also reckon that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus Our Lord.” By baptism, therefore, a man dies to sin, and begins to live in the newness of grace. Thus, every sin is taken away by baptism.

Baptism not only takes away all sin, but cancelscompletely the debt of punishment due to sin. By baptism a person is incorporated in Christ suffering and dying. And scripture says(Bom. 6:8): “If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ.” Now, the Passion is satisfaction for all possible sins of all possible men. Hence, he who is baptized, and so incorporated into this perfect and plenarypower of satisfaction, is freed from all debt of punishment due to his sins.

Baptism does not take away the penalties of sin that are to be undergone in this life. We must suffer, and endure, and die; this is for our merit, if we bear all hardship for God; this keeps us humble, hopeful, looking on to final resurrection, when all hardships and defects will be at an end.

Baptism takes away all sin and all punishment due tosin, and it confers grace and virtues on the person baptized. For baptism makes one a member of Christ; from Christ, the Head, grace and virtues flow through the members.

In baptism, a person is: (a) incorporated in Christ;(b) enlightened by Christ with knowledge of truth; (c) madefruitful of good works by Christ’s infused grace.

Infants, by being incorporated with Christ through baptism, receive grace and virtues, even though their immaturityprevents the conscious exercise of acts that flow from grace and virtues.

Baptism, by removing guilt and the debt of punishment,takes away the obstacles that would block a man from heaven. Hence,we say that baptism “opens the gate of the heavenly kingdom” to the person baptized.

The essential effect of baptism (that is, the birth ofa human being into spiritual life), is the same in everyone who is baptized. In adults, there is a varying degree of”newness” of life, according to the devotion and disposition they bring to the receiving of the sacrament of baptism.

The effect of baptism may be blocked, even though the sacrament is validly received, by what St. Augustine calls insincerity. A man may be insincere, with respect to baptism, in four ways: (a) when he does not believe; has not the faith; (b) when he has scorn for the sacrament; (c) when he receives baptism according to an unapproved rite; (d) when he has no devotion.

A man who is insincere, in any of these four ways,is validly baptized, and the sacramental character is impressed orimprinted on his soul. But he blocks out the grace and the virtues which the sacrament bestows. When such a man repents, and sincerely receives the sacrament of penance, his baptism will then produce its normal effects in him.